Found this in the oral history of the Seattle music scene I was reading:

‘SLIM MOON: [1987’s] Gluey Porch Treatments came out, and my best friend, Dylan [Carlson], got so depressed. The process that went on in his head is that that record was so good that there was no reason to be in bands, because he could never be as good as them. So he had this crazy freak-out where he destroyed his guitar and amp, and moved back to Seattle.’

I don’t remember if Adorno discusses dialectics in the intro lectures. If he does start with them. Then read Negative Dialectics. I’d also recommend the lectures on history and freedom. They are awesome.